Education

[SandhillshuskerW]

I don't think they would come down as much as people would like to think. I doubt there have been many faculty positions added because of "pointless classes".

I just meant that your individual costs as a student would come down quite a bit because you wouldn't have to pay for as many classes. I really can't remember how many credit hours I had to pay for that were outside my major, but I do know that it would have saved me quite a bit of money.

 

[Xmas32]

I don't have much to add except I wish there wasn't such a stigma attached to the trades.  I have several friends who went the trade routes whether they're plumbers/electricians/etc and they are all absolutely killing it.  Is it hard work and not very glamorous?  You bet.  Are you going to make $125k+?  Unlikely unless some things break your way.  That being said, your salary floor is so much higher than just about every other vertical outside of STEM/nursing/sales that I can think of.  I'm sure a lot of it is because there are subsets of parents who think those jobs are beneath them and their kids but damn, an essentially well paid internship with above market wages without the burden of college debt seems pretty doggone appealing to me.

 

[Ratt Mhule]

I'd be interested to see the teacher pay scale for the school that pays $80k a year as proof of this claim. Most schools only give $1-4k annually for Master's Degrees, and maybe $1-2k for coaching. 

I ask because my wife is an educator, and we looked all over Nebraska for high-paying teaching jobs, and outside of Lincoln, Omaha, and Kearney, there weren't any comparable to her current pay, let alone scales that pay out $80k (or even close to $70k to go with your assertion) annually to teachers. 

What he said is true. My fiance was looking at what school counselors make in the millard school district (they make their salaries public) and there were quite a few teachers making 80+. A 1st grade teacher was close to 90. I was actually kind of amazed. But like the giy above said, most of those teachers had been teaching for 25-30 yrs. 

 

[Mierin]

 Very much so in my opinion. College costs would come down quite a bit if you didn't have to take pointless classes. 

I agree that society would benefit if we all had access to a college degree, but where is that money coming from? It would obviously have to come from taxes. How are you going to figure out who pays taxes on which college? Would it be based on states, counties or the whole U.S.? If it was based on states, more people would probably move to states that didn't have many colleges because taxes would be lower there. Why would you live in a state like Texas if you have to pay taxes on all of those colleges?

I don’t think the last part is much of an issue. States with more colleges have more people in them, so the individual taxes taken out for college probably wouldn’t be much different.

 

[Mierin]

As for as “needless” classes, I feel like part of the purpose of college is to create well rounded individuals. I think everyone should take sociology, everyone should take a class about a different culture other than their own, a different religion, a class related to art, a philosophy or psychology class, an economics class, and most important of all a statistics class.

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

I don’t think the last part is much of an issue. States with more colleges have more people in them, so the individual taxes taken out for college probably wouldn’t be much different.

I think the main problem would be the fact that I would have to pay much higher taxes to send students to college for the rest of my life. I can't think of too many people that would willingly pay higher taxes for much, let alone for sending people to college. It would be great if college was free for students. It would give way more people access to college that currently can't afford it. That money has to come from somewhere though.

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

As for as “needless” classes, I feel like part of the purpose of college is to create well rounded individuals. I think everyone should take sociology, everyone should take a class about a different culture other than their own, a different religion, a class related to art, a philosophy or psychology class, an economics class, and most important of all a statistics class.

I would agree with the economics class and possibly the statistics class, but I would have a hard time arguing for the rest of them. There is nothing wrong with wanting well rounded individuals, but it's hard to justify taking an art class in college to be able to work as a mechanic.

 

[teachercd]

Thanks--we weren't looking at this comprehensive list, we were going off individual ISD salary schedules. 

Only problem is that with the Master's pay is that the juice isn't worth the squeeze--you'll likely come out even (at best) after getting your Master's and receiving that bump in pay. 

Noooo, not even close.

I got my Master's and another 18 hours (maybe more) for just over 10k.  The key is to do it early on in your career, not 20 years in.  Plus, a lot schools/districts will pay you back to get your Masters.

The only reason I didn't get my PhD is 1.  It is a lot of work...2.  I can barely read and/or write and 3.  It doesn't improve my pay.

If she doesn't have her Masters and is planning on staying in Ed...tell her to start now...the work is easy and the payoff is great plus it opens up new doors. 

Like others have said...there is a lot of hidden money too...Coaching is a big one.  Golf?  5-6k for a 8 week season and you get to miss school all the time!

Summer school class?  Sure, I would love another 4,000 dollars to teach a 4 week class.

Cover a class?  Thanks, I will take my 25 dollars...

 

[teachercd]

What he said is true. My fiance was looking at what school counselors make in the millard school district (they make their salaries public) and there were quite a few teachers making 80+. A 1st grade teacher was close to 90. I was actually kind of amazed. But like the giy above said, most of those teachers had been teaching for 25-30 yrs. 

Once you get into admin you will start in the 80's and easily get into the mid 90's in no time flat.

 

[Mierin]

I think the main problem would be the fact that I would have to pay much higher taxes to send students to college for the rest of my life. I can't think of too many people that would willingly pay higher taxes for much, let alone for sending people to college. It would be great if college was free for students. It would give way more people access to college that currently can't afford it. That money has to come from somewhere though.

That’s the case with all taxes though, including paying for K-12, and more people going to college would benefit us more than a lot of what we spend tax $ on.

Off the top of my head, why am I paying taxes to subsidize corn? So coca-cola can profit more from their sugar water? Why am I paying taxes to help car companies that make an inferior product? Locally, why do I have to pay for a new road that leads to Wal-mart when I will never shop there? Why am I paying taxes on a military that gets quadruple (or whatever it is) the $ the 2nd biggest military spends?

The military obviously helps me, but it receives too much funding. Allowing people of all socioeconomic statuses to go to college if they meet other criteria would help this country on the whole.

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

That’s the case with all taxes though, and more people going to college would benefit us more than a lot of what we spend tax $ on.

Off the top of my head, why am I paying taxes to subsidize corn? So coca-cola can profit more from their sugar water? Why am I paying taxes to help car companies that make an inferior product? Why am I paying taxes on a military that gets quadruple (or whatever it is) the $ the 2nd biggest military spends?

I understand all of that, but I don't think anyone realizes just how much their taxes would have to increase to make college free for students. I have no idea what it would be either, but I have a feeling that it would be a huge jump. Free college sounds great to me because I have three kids at home that may go to college one day, but I just don't think it would be feasible. This is obviously just my opinion though.

 

[Mierin]

I understand all of that, but I don't think anyone realizes just how much their taxes would have to increase to make college free for students. I have no idea what it would be either, but I have a feeling that it would be a huge jump. Free college sounds great to me because I have three kids at home that may go to college one day, but I just don't think it would be feasible. This is obviously just my opinion though.

You should read some of the previous posts. We went over the costs already.

It would be $70 billion per year. We spent $28 billion on pell grants last year. We increased the defense budget by over $100 billion last year. We can afford free college. We just choose not to do it.

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

You should read some of the previous posts. We went over the costs already.

It would be $70 billion per year. We spent $28 billion on pell grants last year. We increased the defense budget by over $100 billion last year. We can afford free college. We just choose not to do it.

I would like to see what that works out to per household per month. I'm sorry, I just am not convinced that we could afford free education. We are barely making ends meet in our household the way it is and it is hard for me to say that I could easily pay an extra couple hundred per month in taxes for free education. It might be different for others, but we have a son in the house with special needs and we have many expenses. If you add more to our taxes each month from having to fund free education, it would be really difficult. 

 

[Mierin]

I would like to see what that works out to per household per month. I'm sorry, I just am not convinced that we could afford free education. We are barely making ends meet in our household the way it is and it is hard for me to say that I could easily pay an extra couple hundred per month in taxes for free education. It might be different for others, but we have a son in the house with special needs and we have many expenses. If you add more to our taxes each month from having to fund free education, it would be really difficult. 

You don’t have to add any taxes. We’ve given examples of unneccesary spending that could instead go toward college education. I gave one in the post you’re replying to.

To be honest I’d be okay with taxes being raised though, back to pre Bush levels. Even going back to pre Trump levels we could afford this if we’re willing to let the debt increase at a pre-Trump pace. 

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

You don’t have to add any taxes. We’ve given examples of unneccesary spending that could instead go toward college education. I gave one in the post you’re replying to.

To be honest I’d be okay with taxes being raised though, back to pre Bush levels. Even going back to pre Trump levels we could afford this if we’re willing to let the debt increase at a pre-Trump pace. 

There are always places that you can cut taxes. This is never going to change. It all comes down to priorities, but where does it stop? What if we all were given free housing? What if we never had to pay for gas again?  I hope this is not coming off as me trying to argue, I'm simply trying to add to the conversation.